bebé
standard
In Puerto Rico a baby is a bebé, and a small boy or girl is often called nene or nena.
Meaning: very young child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| bebé | standard |
| nene | boy, Puerto Rico |
| nena | girl, Puerto Rico |
Bebé is the word for an infant. Nene and nena also cover toddlers and young children.
Which one should you use?
In some other countries nene is less common. In Puerto Rico it is part of everyday talk about children.
Did you know?
- Nene and nena are also used for grown children by their parents, so a mother may call her adult son mi nene.
Examples in context
- El bebé está durmiendo.The baby is sleeping.
- La nena tiene un año.The little girl is one year old.
Example conversation
Marta visits her friend Elena, who has just had a baby boy.
- MartaElena, qué lindo está el nene.Elena, the baby boy looks so cute.
- ElenaGracias. El bebé nació hace dos semanas.Thank you. The baby was born two weeks ago.
- MartaSe parece a ti.He looks like you.
